Can Changing How Moms Eat Prevent Obesity in Toddlers? BACKGROUND: Childhood overweight is rising at an alarming rate in younger and younger children. There are family behavior patterns that appear to be protective against overweight. GOAL: To reduce the rate of overweight in very young children by helping mothers to adopt focused eating patterns (eating regularly scheduled meals, avoiding TV while eating, avoiding between meal calories). POPULATION: Low SES urban newborn infants and mothers starting well-child care in Children's Hospital Primary Care Network. DESIGN: The project is a controlled study of two interventions. The first is an innovative addition to the nutritional anticipatory guidance offered during well-child visits, which focuses on structuring maternal eating behavior. This will be presented in five of ten matched practices; the other five will serve as a comparison group. The second intervention will be an augmentation of the advice given in the practices by providing access to a 6-week transition to parenting group which will focus on the eating advice given in the clinics. Mothers who agree to participate in the data collection will be randomized to either receive an invitation to join a group or not. AIMS: (Outcomes measured at 6, 12 and 18 months): 1) To achieve a 10% reduction in the percentage of overweight toddlers in the intervention/ support group compared to the other 3 groups by 18 months, 2) To improve infant and toddler eating patterns as compared to ADA & AAP standards, 3) To increase the mothers' readiness and recognition of a need to change family eating habits, 4) To increase the structure of maternal eating patterns. SIGNIFICANCE: If effective, this intervention is low cost and fits well into current pediatric practice.